Rack for holding a stack of printed sheets



1963 G. F. ROONEY, JR

RACK FOR HOLDING A STACK OF PRINTED SHEETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1967 mm mm mm mm l O J VI Qm N E W N r O m 0/ R w E G R o w M Attorneys Nov. 12, 1968 F. ROONEY, JR

RACK FOR HOLDING A STACK OF PRINTED SHEETS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1967 INVENTOR. GEORGE E RODNEY, JR. MMMM Attornevs Nov. 12, 1968 G. F. ROONEY, JR 3,410,424

RACK FOR HOLDING A STACK OF PRINTED SHEETS Filed Feb. 27, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

GEORGE F. ROONEY, JR. fin/a2:

Attorneys United States Patent 3,410,424 RACK FOR HOLDING A STACK OF PRINTED SHEETS George F. Rooney, Jr., 2353 May St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45206 Filed Feb. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 618,704 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rack for holding a stack of printed sheets having spaced parallel board supporting flanges which can be moved inwardly to a board holding position and outwardly to a board released position, a handle locks in both positions. The handle turns shafts that drive cranks which are linked to flange driving members.

This invention relates to printing presses of the type which deliver printed sheets in stacked relation and more particularly relates to apparatus for supporting a stack of printed sheets as the sheets are delivered by a printing press while another stack is removed from the press.

Printed sheets may not be fully dry when delivered by a printing press and stacked. Newly printed sheets must therefore be handled carefully to prevent smearing of the ink thereon. An object of this invention is to provide means for removing a stack of printed sheets from a printing press without disturbing the sheets and without need for stopping the press.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rack for supporting a stack of printed sheets while another stack is removed from a printing press.

A printing press of this type may be provided with a board or plate on which printed sheets are automatically piled by the press. A further object of this invention is to provide a rack for holding a plate on which a stack is formed while another stack is removed together with a board on which the other stack is piled.

Such a printing press may be provided with skid carrying bars which can support a skid with a stack carrying plate upon the skid. The bars are lowered gradually while a stack is forming to maintain the top of the stack at a constant level and are raised again when a stack is removedfand a new stack is started. A further object of this invention is to provide a board holding rack having flanged board supporting members between which a skid carried. by the bars can be raised to raise the board off the flanged members so that the flanged members can be withdrawn without disturbing printed sheets stacked on the board.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rack for supporting a stack carrying plate which rack includes flanged members for supporting the plate and means for retracting the flanged members from plate supporting position to free the plate from the flanged members.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rack of this type having an improved driving mechanism for moving the flanged members which includes a shaft rotatably mounted adjacent each flanged member, cranks on the shaft, drive rods attached to the flanged members and links between the cranks and the drive rods so that the flanged members are positively driven in and out when the shafts are swung through limited arcs.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a rack in which the shafts are linked by a cross rod and cranks which cause the shafts to turn together but in opposite directions to advance the flanged members inwardly and outwardly together.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rack of this type in which a crank operator is mounted on one of the shafts for turning the shaft, a handle is slidably mounted on the crank, and means resiliently urges the handle inwardly toward the shaft associated therewith and into engagement with a slotted plate which rotatably supports the shaft, the handle being releasably engageable in slots of the slotted plate to lock the shaft and flanged members in a flange-out position and in a flangein position.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic, fragmentary view in end elevation of a printing press provided with a board changing rack constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a degvery end portion of the printing press shown in Fl .1;

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the rack on an enlarged scale, a fragmentary portion of the printing press being shown in association therewith, the flanged members thereof being shown in retracted position in full lines and in advanced position in double dot-dash lines;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the rack, skid lowering cables of the printing press being shown in association therewith.

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the line 5-5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 6--6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in end elevation showing the handle in an intermediate position, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the rack;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a corner block;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a link which forms part of the rack;

FIG. 11 is a view in section taken on the line 11-11 in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view in transverse section of a lower end portion of the handle on an enlarged scale.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a fragmentary portion of a printing press 10, details of construction of which are omitted. Mechanism in the press (not shown in detail) delivers printed sheets 12 to -a stack of sheets, the sheets falling onto the stack. The sheets are supported on a skid 13 which carries boards 14 on which stacks of sheets are formed. When a stack of sheets of suitable size has been accumulated on the lowermost board 14, angle-shaped corner blocks 16 are disposed at the corners of the stack of printed sheets on the board 14, and a second board 14' is disposed on the angle-shaped blocks 16 so that a further stack can be accumulated on the board 14'. The skid 13 is carried by transverse bars 17 which underlie a top panel 18 of the skid 13 intermediate legs 19 thereof. Cables 20, which extend downwardly from a cantilever head portion 21 of the press, carry clamps 22 which support the ends of the bars 16. Mechanism of the press, not shown in detail, advances the cables as sheets are delivered at such a speed that, as the sheets accumulate, the top of the stack receiving sheets can remain at a substantially constant height. When a sufficiently high stack or series of stacks of sheets have been accumulated on the skid 13, the cables 20 can be advanced more rapidly (by means not shown) to lower the skid 13 to the ground 24. When the skid 13 is lowered to the ground, the clamps 22 can be removed to release the transverse bars 17. Then the skid 13 together with the boards 14 and the stacks of printed sheets may be removed from the press. When the skid and stack have been removed, a new skid can be supported upon the transverse bars 17, and when the clamps 22 have been re-attached to the ends of the transverse bars 17, the cables can be retracted to raise the bars and skid for supporting new stacks of sheets.

While the skid is being changed, sheets delivered by the press are received on a board 14" (FIG. 3) which is supported on inwardly directed flanges 26 and 27 of angle-shaped flanged support members 28 and 29, respectively. The flanged members 28 and 29 are part of a rack indicated generally at 31. The flanged member 28 is mounted on a pair of pins 32 and 33 (FIG. 8), and the flanged member 29 is mounted on a similar pair of pins 34 and 36. The pins are slidably and telescopically mount ed in horizontal tubular sleeve members 37 which are attached to frame bars 38 and 39. The frame bars 38 and 39, in turn, are provided with upwardly extending hanger arms 41. The hanger arms 41 are attached to the cantilever head portion 21 of the printing press by fasteners 42 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. Pivoting shafts 43 and 44 are rotatably mounted adjacent the frame bars 38 and 39, respectively. Each of the shafts is rotatably mounted in a pair of journal members 46 (FIG. 8) which are attached to the frame bar associated therewith. In addition, the shafts are rotatably mounted in bores 47 (FIG. in slotted plates 48 and 49 mounted on outer ends of the frame bars 38 and 39, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shaft 43 carries cranks 50 and 51 (FIG. 4) which are attached thereto and turned therewith. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the cranks has a transverse bore 52 in which the shaft 43 is received. A slot 53 (FIG. 3) in the crank intersects the bore 52. A bolt 54 which extends through the slotted portion of the crank draws bifurcations 57 and 58 of the crank together to cause the crank to grip the shaft 43 so that the crank and shaft turn together.

Each of the cranks 50 and S1 is linked to one of the pins 34 by a link 61. Details of construction of one of the links are shown in FIG. 10. The link 61 includes an elongated body having a bore 62 adjacent one end thereof. A pin 63 projects outwardly from the body parallel to the axis of the bore 62 and adjacent an opposite end of the body. As shown in FIG. 8, a pivot bolt 64 extends through the bore 62 of the link and through a bore 66 in a head portion 67 of the pin 36 to provide a pivotal connection therebetween. The pin 63 of the link extends into a bore 68 of the crank associated therewith to provide a pivotal connection between the crank and the link.

As the shafts 43 and 44 swing, the flange members 28 and 29 are moved from the full line to the double dotdash line position of FIG. 3, the cranks and links passing through the intermediate position shown in FIG. 7, and there is a positive drive connection throughout the movement.

The shafts are linked together to turn in unison but in opposite directions by a linkage 70. The linkage 70 includes linking cranks 71 and 72, which are mounted on the shafts 43 and 44, respectively, and link members 73 and 74 which link outer ends of the cranks 71 and 72. Each of the cranks 71 and 72 can be generally similar in construction to the cranks already described. Inner end portions 76 and 77 of the link members 73 and 74, respectively, overlap. As shown in FIG. 3, a slot 78 in the end portion 76 receives fasteners 80 and 81, which are mounted in the end portion 77, to provide an adjustment in the effective length of the linkage.

The shafts 43 and 44 are turned by means of an operating crank 82 mounted on the shaft 44 and a handle 83 slidably mounted on the crank 82. A slotted head 86 at an upper end of the crank 82 is provided with a transverse bore 87 which receives an end of the shaft 44. A bolt 88 (FIG. 6) which extends through bifurcations 89 and 91 of the head and a nut '92 threaded on the bolt 88 draw the bifurcations toward each other to clamp the crank 82 on the shaft 44. The handle is hollow and houses a compression spring 93 which bears on an inwardly directed shoulder 94 of the handle. The compression spring 93 also bears on a piston 95 (FIG. 12) which is slidable in a counterbored portion 95 of the handle. The piston 95 includes a cylindrical body 95" which slides in the counterbored portion 95' and a cylindrical head 95" which is received and slides in a doubly counterbored portion 96 of the handle. The piston 95 has an axial bore 96' which receives the shank of a bolt 97. The bolt 97 is received in an axial threaded bore 98 in the crank 82 to hold the piston 95 and the crank 82 in assembled relation. The spring 93 urges the handle 83 inwardly toward the shaft 44 as shown in FIG. 6. The head 95" is engageable with a shoulder 98, which separates the counterbored portions 95 and 96, to limit downward and outward movement of the handle 83.

A stop member 101 is attached to the handle 83 as by welding or the like. The stop member 101 includes a stop portion 102, which is releasably received in circumferentially spaced radial slots 103 and 104 of the slotted plate 49. A T-shaped extension 106 of the stop member 101 extends behind the slotted plate 49 to guide the stop portion into the slots 103 and 104. When the flanged members are to be moved inwardly or outwardly, the handle 83 can be withdrawn to the position shown in FIG. 7 to bring the stop portion 102 free of the slots 103 and 104 so that the crank can be swung, as to the position shown in FIG. 7, between the slots 103 and 104, the slotted plate 49 being provided with a circularly curved edge portion 108, which is co-axial with the shaft 44, along which the stop portion 102 can slide until it reaches one of the slots 103 and 104 whereupon it is urged into the slot to lock the shafts and flange members in position.

When a new skid has been brought into position, the bars 17 (FIGS. 1 and 2) have been disposed beneath the top panel 18 thereof, and the bars are supported by the clamps 22, the cables 20 can be drawn upwardly to bring the skid to a position where it supports the board 14" (FIG. 3) slightly above and free of the flanges 26 and 27. Then the flanged members 28 and 29 can be withdrawn to the full line position of FIG. 3, and the cables can be advanced to lower the skid and board to the position required for continued operation of the prmting press.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rack for supporting and stacking sheets discharglng from a printing press which comprises a pair of elongated spaced substantially parallel frame members arranged to be supported on opposite sides of the sheets as the sheets are delivered, means for attaching said frame members to the framework of the printing press, a plurality of horizontal pins mounted for reciprocation in each frame member transversely thereof, an elongated flanged support member attached to the pins of each frame member, the flanges of said sup-port members being horizontal, extending toward each other, and being adapted to support opposite edges of a board in the path of the sheets for receiving the sheets, journal members attached to each frame member, a shaft jonrnaled in the journal members attached to each frame member, a crank carried by each shaft adjacent each horizontal pin, means connecting each pin and the crank adjacent thereto and so arranged that swinging of the shafts causes inward and outward advance of the flanged members between an inner board supporting position and an outer board released position, a linking crank attached to each shaft, a transverse connecting member connecting the linking cranks to cause the shafts to turn together to drive the support members toward and away from each other in unison, an

5 6 operating crank attached to one of the shafts, a handle References Cited slidably mounted on the operating crank for sliding to- UNITED STATES PATENTS ward and away from the shaft on WhlCh the operating crank is mounted, means resiliently urging the handle 4141564 11/1889 Mots? toward said one of the shafts, a stop member mounted 5 2,315,003 3/1943 et a1 X on the handle, and a stationary slotted plate mounted on 216071501 8/1952 Jeflrey 214' 6 the frame member associated with said one of the shafts, 2,627,354 2/1953 Iseua et a1 214-6 there being spaced radial slots in the slotted plate adapted to receive the stop member when the shafts and flanged ROBERT SHERIDAN Primary Exammer' members are in inner and outer positions. R. J. SPAR, Assistant Examiner. 

